Christmas Pretzel Crack is a fun, festive recipe adapted from my Cornflake Crack and Salada Christmas Crack. Perfect for the 'silly season' when everyone enjoys the time of year to indulge a little more. It has a layer of crunchy pretzel chips on the base, a crusty toffee layer in the middle and salty chocolate layer on top.
Recipes like the White Chocolate Crack, Rum And Raisin Fudge, Tim Tam Cheesecake Balls and Malteser Truffles are all about the Christmas spirit!
The Mint Aero Fudge, Coconut Fudge, Dark Chocolate Rocky Road and the Malteser Rocky Road are great options to no bake and gift give.
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🤍 CHRISTMAS PRETZEL CRACK
Even the name 'Christmas Pretzel Crack' or 'pretzel Christmas crack' sounds pretty great right! And yes, it is addictive. The perfect combination of 'sweet', 'salty', 'cracker', 'toffee', 'fun holiday treat'. You will find yourself 'having one little bit' and then 'a little bit more' and then you will have to force yourself to walk away from it.
Needing only 5 simple ingredients and minimal effort with a fast oven bake we bring together this family friendly Christmas recipe.
With crispy little bits that break apart in a fun 'tear and share' manner it is sugary, sweet, salty and delicious. It is a holiday treat that tastes sensational and will have you coming back for more!
🥗 christmas pretzel crack Ingredients
The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the pretzel Christmas crack recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for the full list of ingredients, measurements and detailed instructions.
As you can see the recipe calls for:
- Sea salt: the flaky sea salt is to decorate.
- Butter: we need to use unsalted butter as there is salt on the pretzels and in the top layer.
- Brown sugar: one of the main ingredients needed to make the sweet toffee that helps to 'stick' everything else together.
- Chocolate: Milk chocolate that is cooking chocolate (not eating chocolate as it is too sweet). I like to use blocks, but you can use milk chocolate chips or choc melts if you prefer.
- Pretzels: I like to use pressed salty pretzels for this recipe. They are the size of ritz crackers and taste like saltine crackers but in 'pretzel form'.
😉 Variations
Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:
- Chocolate: I like to use milk chocolate. You can use rich dark chocolate or white chocolate or a combination of the 3 if you prefer (equivalent amount as stated in recipe card).
- Decorating: I like to use some broken up pieces of the crunchy pretzels as well as sea salt on top. You can also choose to use festive sprinkles like candy canes or red and green sprinkles as something different if you prefer.
👩🍳 How to Make christmas pretzel crack
To make the Christmas Pretzel Crack, start by lining a 20 x 30 cm baking tray with 2 overlapping sheets of baking paper. You will see what this will look like in the photos below.
🍳 Instructions
- Line the baking tray (Photo 1)
- Break and save some pretzels (Photo 2)
As we use some of the pretzels to decorate, we want to set these aside to begin with. As you can see from the photos above, I like to set aside about ½ cup and I break some of them into smaller pieces.
- Add butter and sugar to medium saucepan (Photo 3)
- Melt the butter and sugar, combine, boil (Photo 4)
Next add the butter and brown sugar to a large heavy based saucepan and let them melt and combine. Once done boil the mixture for 30 seconds.
- Add the pretzels and combine (Photo 5)
- Spread out in baking tray (Photo 6)
Once boiled add the pretzels to the caramel mixture in the saucepan and stir to gently combine.
Then pour the mixture out into the prepared baking tray like you see in the photo above.
- Prepare the chocolate for melting (Photo7)
- Oven bake the pretzel toffee mixture (Photo 8)
Next we break the chocolate into pieces (if using blocks) and get them ready for melting.
From there we take the baking tray with pretzels covered in the toffee and oven bake (middle shelf, uncovered) for 8 minutes.
- Add the melted chocolate and decorate (Photo 9)
- Set in the fridge (Photo 10)
Melt the chocolate in the microwave and then drizzle it over the baked layer of pretzels. Next use a spatula to spread the chocolate out. Once done decorate the top with the reserved pretzels and sprinkle sea salt across the top.
Then pop the whole tray into the fridge and let it set.
I like to leave it at least 2 hours. It will be very firm to the touch (the chocolate layer).
🍽 Serving Suggestions
When it comes to serving your pretzel crack recipe there are no rules.
You can have fun with it as serve it as you please. It is a holiday favorite and that means getting creative.
Some ideas as simply plating into bowls or platters for nibbles.
Or if you are a gift giver of baked goods you can portion into decorated boxes or plastic bags with Christmas ribbon. Then deliver to family, friends and loved ones.
👍 How to Guide
How to Store
Store the pretzel crack in a sealed, airtight container in the fridge. It can be kept for 7-10 days like this. It is not recommend to store in the cupboard as the chocolate and butter mixture can melt and it looses its freshness and length of time that it can be consumed.
💡 Tasty Tips
Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master the recipe from the get go:
- Baking tray: I like to use a little bit of spray oil to help stick the baking paper to the base of the baking tray. The overhang is necessary to enable lifting the set Christmas crack up and out of the baking tray.
- Aluminum foil: I have seen recipes that use aluminum foil for these types of recipes. However, in my experience parchment paper is the best to use so that you are not tearing strips of foil of your festive candy.
- Love baking during the holiday season? Then you might like the Cherry Ripe Fudge, Toblerone Fudge, Mars Bar Fudge, Snickers Fudge or Turkish Delight Fudge. These and also the Mint Aero Fudge are all versions of my Microwave Chocolate Fudge.
🤓 CHRISTMAS PRETZEL CRACK FAQ's
Pretzels are made of a combination of flour, water, yeast, sugar, salt and butter or oil.
This will happen if you use too high heat when melting and mixing the ingredients. You will notice if this happens as there will be a ring of yellow melted butter on the outskirts of the saucepan. The key to avoiding this is to never let the heat be 'too hot'. So even if in a rush, it is best to slow down, allow the butter and sugar to melt and mix at a lower, slower temperature and succeed when it works out.
I would not recommend using too small of a baking tray or varying too much from the recommended size in the recipe card. This is because we want the crack to be layers but not a thick dimension like fudge. It works because it is crispy and can be broken apart easily. If your baking tray is too small the toffee layer won't set properly.
No. It is best stored in the fridge.
😍 More Easy Bake or no bake Recipes
If you like spend your free time in your kitchen (I get you!) then I have some more ideas that you might like to try. The following recipes have a variety of ingredients, methods and techniques. I am hoping to give everyone a chance to find something else that they want to try next.
- Blondies recipes: Oreo Blondies, Raspberry White Chocolate Blondies, Butter Pecan Blondies, Apple Cinnamon Blondies.
- Shortbread recipes: Mini Shortbread Cookies, Cheese Shortbread, Macadamia Nut Shortbread.
- Festive recipes: Fruit Mince Tarts, Brie Cranberry Tarts, Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Bites, Apple Crumble Tartlets.
It is time to get our Christmas Pretzel Crack on my friend! You can also find all of my Christmas recipes or Chocolate recipes in their own category.
Adrianne
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📖 Recipe
Christmas Pretzel Crack
Ingredients
- 250 grams/2 sticks butter unsalted, Note 1
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 600 grams/21 oz milk chocolate Note 2
- 5 cups/2 x 180gram bags pressed pretzels Note 3
- sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven: to 180°C / 350-375°F / Gas Mark 4-5.
- Baking tray: line a 20 x 30 cm (12 x 8 inches) baking tray with 2 overlapping sheets of parchment paper with overhang on the edges.
- Butter and sugar: add the butter and sugar to a heavy based sauce pan. Using medium to low heat allow the butter to melt and sugar to soften. Let these fully combine (will be consistent pale brown colour) and once they have let them boil and bubble away without stirring for 30 seconds.
- Toffee and pretzels: once the toffee has boiled add the pretzels to the saucepan. Stir to combine and cover them in the liquid. Once done pour this mixture into the prepared baking dish and use a spatula to spread it out into one (evenish) layer.
- Oven Bake: next place the baking tray into the preheated oven (middle shelf, uncovered) and let the pretzel crack bake for 8 minutes.
- Chocolate: in the final 3 minutes of cook time, place the chocolate into the microwave (in a heatproof jug). Microwave on high for 2 minutes then remove, set on a heatproof surface and stir. Return to the microwave for 1 further minute on high then repeat the remove and stir step. Use oven mitts to remove the baked pretzels from the oven and set the tray on a heatproof surface. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the top and then use a spatula to spread out over the baked pretzel layer.
- To decorate: press the reserved pretzels and pieces into the melted chocolate to cover the surface (spread out a little). Then sprinkle sea salt over the top.
- Set: place the decorated Christmas pretzel crack into the fridge and let set for 2 hours until firm to the touch.
- To serve: remove the set pretzel crack from the fridge. Use the overhang to lift it up and out of the baking tray. Discard the paper. Break the pretzel crack into pieces using your hands (or sharp knife and cutting board). Stack into bowls or a large platter and serve.
Video
Notes
- Note 1 - Butter: we want to use unsalted butter as the pretzels come salted and we use sea salt to decorate. We don't want the slice to taste 'too salty'.
- Note 2 - Chocolate: I like to use milk chocolate for the recipe. It is recommended to only use 'cooking chocolate' not 'eating chocolate'. If you want to use dark chocolate or white chocolate you could or a combination of all 3 (equivalent amount as stated above).
- Note 3 - Pretzels: This is 2 x 180 gram bags of 'pressed pretzels' with sea salt. They are round and flat with a hole in the middle. I was able to get them from my local grocery store.
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